THUS SPAKE

Corona virus has brought new challenges before us that we had not even thought about. The pandemic has taught us a new lesson. We have to become self reliant. We have to become self reliant so that we are able to sustain ourselves. Our villages, districts, states and country have to become self sufficient. Our elders have always taught us to become self sufficient and now it has become the need of the hour.

Has China demonstrated the superiority China’s one- party system as compared to democracies? There is no escape from the fact that COVID-19 may not have become a pandemic if China were a democracy with a free flow of information through an independent media and accountable political leadership. This is the original sin which cannot be whitewashed. There are democracies which have done as well if not better than China without resorting to its sledgehammer tactics.

Few of us realise that China makes over 50 million a year in trade and product sale profit from India. This is the equivalent to which China had promised Pakistan as part of its largesse for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – making Pakistan its client state. Which is why the latest move to restrict Chinese investments in the Indian economy, shows New Delhi finally calling the Chinese bluff.

Let me also share with you something that should worry each and every one of us as Indians. When we should be tackling corona virus unitedly, the BJP continues to spread the virus of communal prejudice and hatred. Grave damage is being done to our social harmony. Our party will have to work hard to repair the damage.

A substantial stimulus, coupled with much greater assistance to the states for the first half of the year, should lift demand as well as supply.

__ Omkar Goswami, Chairperson, Corporate and Economic Research Group (CERG)Advisory

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Prices of crude oil have fallen to unexpected levels in the world, yet why is petrol sold at Rs.69 and diesel at Rs.62? It is good that prices have fallen in this disaster. When will this government listen?.....After all, when will India’s poor wake up? You are dying of hunger and they are busy cleaning up hands of the rich by making sanitizers from your portion of rice….FCI had surplus of 27.2 MMT (million metric tonnes). Even after distributing free ration to 80 cr. people for 3 months in advance, we have enough to spare. PDS is flush.

__ Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader in Tweets

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If WHO has limitations, these have been imposed on it by nations….We actually need institutions of greater independence in all our collective interest.

__ Shashi Tharoor, Congress leader and former Under Secretary General of the UN

Costa Rica has proposed a pool of rights in WHO for technology and data necessary for combating the pandemic. The EU has also made a similar proposal. The virus cannot be defeated unless it is defeated in all countries.

__ Ujal Singh Bhatia, The writer is former Ambassador of India to the WTO

Right now the most urgent thing in the country is the cash transfer, as people have to survive. People’s livelihoods have been destroyed, lakhs and lakhs need immediate assistance. We are not talking about assistance for next three months, but today, tomorrow, the next few weeks.

We do design for high-value housing and provide in the slums the residue. We should be ashamed because we have the image we want to project ourselves and there’s part we want to hide. We are offended when people criticize it, but we have social responsibilities as architects and builders. The Corona issue is a wakeup call of what beholds us. What our concern is that it turns around and bites us.

In his first term, Prime Minister Modi was able to keep national attention focused on his foreign and economic policy initiatives as well as on national security and defence – all areas within the purview of the Centre and offering the PM the space to act. Modi’s second term got off to a wrong start with public attention focused on law and order, questions of citizenship and personal health. These issues have opened up political space for provincial leadership. Not only has the profile of non-BJP chief ministers like K. Chandrashekhar Rao and Pinarayi Vijayan gone up, but even BJP chief ministers like Yogi Adityanath seem to have acquired a political personality of their own.

Our parliamentary rules do not require MPs to meet physically at the Parliament House. Discussions have taken place on multiple occasions for holding its sessions outside Delhi. The only requirement for a duly constituted sitting of a house is that it be presided over by the chairman/speaker or any authorized MP.

__ Chakshu Roy, Head of legislative and civic engagement at PRS Legislative Research

I am naturally disappointed with the High Court decision. I will continue to pursue further legal remedies as advised by my lawyers. I am also disappointed with the media narrative which states that I must face trial for a fraud of Rs.9000 crores. I must draw attention to paragraph 6 of the judgment which is available to the public. Please note that the allegation against me others are specifically and only related to three tranches of borrowing from IDBI for 900 crore in 2009. This loan was subsumed along with loans from other banks within the Master Debt Recast Agreement of 2010. The banks have already recovered in cash a sum of Rs.2500 crores which is 50 percent of the Principal amount. I have repeatedly offered to pay the Banks in full but, sadly to no avail.

The basic idea about our recommendations is that the industry should also not be forced when the situation is beyond their control. The law has to be reasonable. It is for the government to step in and extend a helping hand for the industries.

__ Bhartruhari Mehtab, Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Labour

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GEM OF THE WEEK

It would be a strange feeling to be inside an empty stadium. Because you draw a lot of energy from the crowd after hitting a boundary or after taking a wicket. It may even seem like a net practice…..The method of shining the ball is going to change now. I don’t know what it will be as a lot of it would have to do with hygiene. Celebrations also (will change); one can’t do high-fives or hug each other. Hopefully the game would start after we overcome this challenge but I feel that element will stay somewhere in the back of the mind. It will eventually boil down to the hygiene levels we maintain. So to maintain certain level of hygiene not just during this phase but post this phase is also going to be critical for everyone.

__ Sachin Tendulkar, former cricketer

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I am the only one to captain’s one country at Lord’s and also umpire at the Mecca of cricket. I am immensely proud of that.

I get worried if 12-13-year olds want to take up full-time chess careers. In all professions uncertainty is very high and parents should give their children the flexibility to decide what they want to do. Children should not make a decision on a full time career, in chess, till the age of 18 and till you finish your studies. In chess you do not have to turn professional.